Do you know how to spot indicators that your tree has an infection or a disease? The most common way to tell that a tree is diseased is by seeing it on the stems of a tree, the crown, or on the foliage. It is important to know and understand the components, even when determining and managing these things can be intimidating prospect.
A lot of the time, inspecting the tree roots is a missed step. Doing this can help identify if the tree is actually diseased, if you are suspicious of this. Most issues will present themselves through the tree roots and be the most important to notice.
However, sometimes the roots are not exposed enough to be able to properly see if there is an issue. Luckily, there are other signs and symptoms you can look out for that are more obvious and easier to see. Identifying an issue is the first major step to helping your tree, management of these ailments is the next important step.
Some tree diseases are easier to spot and identify than others. For instance, it’s easy to see things like stems with blisters and withering leaves. But there are some that are not outwardly obvious, making it hard to know that your tree is actually sick. As an example, it is normal for certain trees to shed their leaves in the fall in preparation for the cold winter months. But this same thing can be a sign of disease if it happens at another time of year.
Recognizing what is a normal behavior and what is not is a good first step in indicating when a tree is sick or not. Understanding normal patterns of development, normal changes throughout the year, and what conditions offer certain results is extremely important to know so that you can spot when something isn’t happening at the appropriate time. Five Star Tree Services has made the following list of tree issues and things to look out for that indicate your tree is sick and needs help.
Tree Elements and Issues
Alterations in Development
-Growth Disturbance: when the normal growth of a tree is decreased or hindered.
-Colour Changes: when the shade of the leaves or needles change, has loss of shading, or gets a general discoloration. This can usually start in the crown of the tree.
-Per-mature development loss: this is when your tree drops their leaves too early or ripens.
-Changes in shape or form: when the development of bunches and swellings get broken or have split surfaces with damaged leaves and stems.
Physical Damage
-Infestation of pests: you will be able to visibly see things like mycelium, bugs, and parasites clinging to your trees or burrowing inside them.
-Insect or animal damage: you will be able to see any destructive chewing either coming from the outside or the inside of the tree, frags, or openings.
-Other damages: you can have things like algae, other parasitic plants, greeneries, epiphytes, and lichens damaging your trees.
-General damage: there is damage that can be done by the climate, things like dripping, and nonbacterial ooze can occur.
Demise
-Wilting and collapsing: you will notice drooping in the branches which means it is dying due to lack of adequate water.
-Blight: very quick and severe loss of growth or damage to things like stems, leaves, and blossoms.
-Dieback: this is the gradual and progressive loss of leaves, shoots, and roots. You can typically start to see this in the tips of the tree.
Necrosis or Localized Demise
-Decay and rot: on the inside of larger trunks and branches can have rot that starts and spreads throughout the tree.
-Lesions and spots: these are visible small regions of disease. You might notice them as pits, scabs, or coloured blotches on the tree and leaves.
-Cankers: these have the ability to fluctuate in the way that they look. They can have indented centers, or raised edges, or can have broad swellings. Keep an eye out for all these.
How Five Star Tree Services Can Help
Keeping in mind all of these things can get difficult and confusing, at best. This is why if you have any suspicions about the health of your trees, you should give us a call at Five Star Tree Services! Our skilled and knowledgeable team will come and assess your trees to determine exactly what is ailing them and come up with an appropriate action plan after. Give us a call today at (416) 990-3355! To learn more about our tree care and maintenance service, check out our website!